FIBA 3×3 Basketball World Tour Hong Kong Ends
China News Service, Hong Kong, November 26 (Reporter Wei Huadu) The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Three-person Basketball (3×3) World Tour Hong Kong Masters 2023 ended on the 26th. The attendance rate of the audience that day was about 90%. Hong Kong players expressed their hope that Hong Kong will continue to develop three-person basketball and get closer to the top international teams.
This is FIBA’s highest level three-person basketball event. Hong Kong is the 17th stop of this year’s world tour and the last stop before the finals. There are 16 international teams participating, 6 of which have won the championship this year, proving that the level of players is among the best in the world. The event was awarded the “M” brand by the Hong Kong Major Sports Events Committee, which means it received financial support or logistical support from the Hong Kong SAR government.
After the previous day’s competition, the eight teams with the highest points advanced to the final day event on the 26th. The Hangzhou team of China and the Wuxi Sand team of Hong Kong failed to advance.
At noon, a large number of citizens lined up at the ticket office at the entrance of the stadium. The number of people was obviously larger than the previous day. Some parents brought their young children to the venue, and some posted clips of the game on social platforms. After nightfall, everyone watched the game under the spotlight, and the atmosphere was heated.
On the same day, the Amsterdam team of the Netherlands defeated the Princeton team of the United States and the Omaha team of the United States, and met the Lithuanian Rodong Varis team in the finals at 7 o’clock in the evening. The latter defeated the world‘s number one Ubud team of Serbia in the semi-finals.
The two teams fought hard in the early stages. In the middle, the Dutch Amsterdam team gradually opened up the score to 20-15. The opponent then recovered 2 points, but failed to take advantage of the momentum. The Dutch Amsterdam team finally won 21-17 and won the Hong Kong championship. The winning players and fans cheered, and some female fans screamed.
Vincent Fauche, a player of the French Paris team who came to Hong Kong for the first time, talked about his impression of Hong Kong: “We arrived a few days ago and had time to walk around. This is an amazing city. During the game, the audience was very enthusiastic. , we are playing in a hot and fun environment, and it feels good.”
Hong Kong Wu Kai Sha team player Cai Longde said: “Hong Kong does not have a full-time three-person basketball team, but this result proves that the Hong Kong team is not far behind foreign professional teams. We can play the characteristics of Hong Kong players. In terms of five-person basketball in Mongolia, It is not the top in Asia, but it can be achieved in the field of three-person basketball. I hope Hong Kong can also achieve this achievement.”
On the same day, the 2023 men’s and women’s finals of the Hong Kong Academic Three-person Basketball Invitational Tournament were also held on site to allow young players to experience international competitions. A group of young players did not disappoint the audience and played a wonderful battle. This event has been rated as a Level 3 event by FIBA and is the highest level academic three-person basketball competition in Hong Kong recorded by FIBA.